There’s more to Guinness than drinking it! With St. Patrick’s Day this Thursday, RED connected with Metropolitan State University of Denver’s School of Hospitality pros to get the lowdown on stouts and four easy-to-make recipes.

Consisting of at least 5% roasted barley, stouts contain notes of coffee and dark chocolate, with lighter malts bringing out nutty and caramel tones. Traditional stouts (outside of your imperial and specialty variants) also typically lower in alcohol and bitterness than IPAs, often no more than 3–4% alcohol by volume and 15 International Bitterness Units, respectively.

“They should be drinkable, roasty and dark,” said Toby Eppard, head of the University’s Brewery Operations program.

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In addition to the aforementioned classic brew of Ireland, the School of Hospitality crew recommended Longmont-based Left Hand Brewery’s Nitro Milk Stout, Young’s Double Chocolate Stout, Beamish Irish Stout and the Yeti series from Denver-based Great Divide.

“Stouts have intense flavors, so you’re going to want to pair them with foods that can hold up to or complement them,” said Jimi Webb, co-host of the school’s live cooking series, “Rogue Kitchen.”

Those dishes include smoked brisket, braised short ribs, dishes with saltiness (e.g., bacon) and even a basic vanilla ice cream or brownie base to highlight some of the flavors you might find in contemporary stouts such as mole, cinnamon, burnt marshmallow and French toast.

When cooking with stout, a reduction or braising liquid will intensify flavor and can be used to create depth, bringing out maltiness and reinforcing sweetness or providing a great backdrop, Webb added.

Stout recipes:

Harp Lager Mustard BBQ Sauce

“The Harp Lager barbecue sauce is a great all-purpose sauce to use on chicken, fish or even grilled or roasted vegetables,” Webb said.

Beef Stew Cabbage Pockets With Guinness Onion Gravy

These warm cabbage pockets pair well with their caramelized-onion-and-stout grave — not to mention a cold Guinness.

Irish Mary

Start your St. Patrick’s Day off with a delicious Irish Mary, Hospitality’s take on a classic bloody Mary. “The garnish alone will set you up for success,” Webb added.

Chocolate Guinness Cake

For dessert, MSU Denver Hospitality students used a New York Times recipe to make this simple and rich treat, a chocolate Guinness cake.